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"Well, see? That’s why I brought you along" Rokan sht to his eyes

A piercing cry sounded above them, a cry that sounded eerily like a hu upward in the air, higher and higher A sharp pain ran through Isabel as she watched the dark shape against the blue sky; she had a sudden s spread to catch an updraft, of folding those wings for the heart-stopping drop on unsuspecting prey She i feathers to lift her off the earth

"Spirits," Rokan breathed, and she felt an almost physical thud as she was pulled back to earth--or back into her body--though since the horse beneath her didn’t stir, it must have been only in her mind "What does it feel like to fly?"

"It feels free," Isabel said

Rokan turned his head and sly wide-open s away any hint of seriousness, his eyes alight onder Isabel jerked her gaze back to the sky, a sudden energy tingling through her The hawk let out another sharp, piercing cry That cry, cos and the way it wheeled across the sky, forer

Isabel dismounted and knelt in one srass, pushing at the dirt beneath it, closing her eyes Subtle reverberations ran through the ground, and some part of her was able to pull out the ones she cared about, to knohat theyhooves A horse

So

Isabel got to her feet and snapped her eyes open to find Rokan watching her, dark eyes wide, the way asea She felt alive with power, coht swirl away into o," she said There was nothing huh it forhtened on the reins

"Why?"

"This isn’t safe"

Rokan was instantly tense, alert, and afraid His hand er "What do you want to do?"

"I want," Isabel said, swinging back onto her horse, "to go back to the castle Now"

They got back in half the time it had taken thealloping at all

On the sixth , on her way up the tower stairs, Isabeldown

They froze for a moment, the sorcerer in his thick red robe that reeked of old potions, Isabel in a pale violet goith her golden hair tied up in braids Then the door to Ven’s workroom opened, and the apprentice stopped short on the threshold, all the blood draining froave Ven a coldly impersonal look, then turned back to Albin "I’m here to ask your apprentice some questions I would advise you not to interfere"

Albin drew himself up "I don’t take advice fro, then"

His face hardened, and Isabel realized that she had h to once again test his strength against hers But she hadn’t taken into account his reluctance to lose face in front of his apprentice

She reached into her flowing sleeve for the dagger she now carried strapped to her arer and threw it sideways--not at Albin, but at Ven

Albin would have been prepared with a er thudded into the half-open door inches from his throat Isabel had not looked at Ven when she threw the dagger, and she didn’t now Instead she kept her eyes on Albin "If I intended to hurt hi what I was summoned here to do I need soical protection"

The implication--that she couldn’t force the information from him just as easily--would please Albin Isabel waited a moment, then added, "I can have Prince Rokan order him to talk to reat show of deliberating, then jabbed his finger at Ven and scowled "Answer her questions But take care She is an unnatural creature, with no hus of Samorna are fools to believe they know her purpose Don’t be swayed by her delicate for her for a second"

Ven lare, then swept past them down the stairs

Ven took a deep breath and touched the hilt of the still-quivering dagger, his hand shaking

"I’ll need that back," Isabel said

"You could have--"

"Killed you?" Isabel cocked her head to the side, allowing herself a small chuckle "I don’t miss"

"No…of course not" He took another breath, and the fear faded frorown used to--and started to enjoy--over the past few days She srinned sheepishly back Her s…easy…about being with Ven She would have said she enjoyed his cos Not being human herself, she couldn’t assess the truth of that But she was fairly sure the Shifter didn’t feel a need to relax, or to be admired by anyone other than her prince And wouldn’t enjoy either of those things She spent time with Ven purely because he was useful to her

"Well," she said, "Albin ant to knohatto tell him"

Ven nodded, turned, and went back into his rooer out of the door and slid it back inside her sleeve It left a deep narrow gash in the dark wood, which would serve as a nice reminder for Albin every time he walked up these stairs to his roo smile before she shut the door behind her

Chapter Six